15 Ahmadis arrested for gathering in a building resembling a mosque

test01 · March 20, 2009, 10:14pm

Police in Pakistan instead of arresting killers and robbers are arresting Ahmadis for praying.

LAHORE: The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) on Thursday condemned the ease with which a member of the Ahmadi sect could be arbitrarily arrested, based on hearsay evidence from an openly biased party.

Referencing two recent events in which an Ahmadi couple was found murdered and 15 men were arrested for gathering at a place of worship that resembles a mosque, the AHRC said these events highlighted the intense discrimination experienced by most minorities in Pakistan. It noted that it was very easy to file cases of blasphemy against most minorities.

In the first cases, the AHRC noted, 15 prominent Ahmadi men in Sillanwali tehsil, Sargodha district, were charged under Section 298C of the Pakistan Penal Code, an amendment that applies only to Ahmadis and carries up to three years in jail. Three of the men have been detained so far and denied bail by a local judge. The amendment to Section 298 claims that Ahmadis should not pose as Muslims, call themselves Muslim, “or in any manner whatsoever outrage the religious feelings of Muslims”.

Protect: According to the AHRC, the 15 men in Sargodha can expect little help from the police. Rather than allowing this discrimination and violent persecution to continue, the commission added, the government must recognise the right to life of every Pakistani, and start protecting and compensating those it has helped to make vulnerable through such amendments as Section 298C. In the second incident reference by the AHRC, a prominent Ahmadi couple was found murdered in their apartment in Wapda Colony, Multan Rd, approximately three months after they started to receive anonymous death threats. The threats warned them against practising their religion, but their family advised them against taking the case to the police, claiming this would make them more vulnerable. The family is currently fearful about following through with the murder case.

According to the commission, more than a 1,000 Ahmadis are estimated to be in Pakistan’s jails on charges of blasphemy, which carries the death penalty. It claims that many of these convictions are a part of personal vendettas or land disputes. The commission also points out that over the past 24 years, at least 100 Ahmadis have been lynched and murdered; 18 of them doctors.

PAKISTAN: AHRC condemns arbitrary arrests of Ahmadis [Daily Times]

Khehkeshan · March 21, 2009, 12:25am

Re: 15 Ahmadis arrested for gathering in a building resembling a mosque

It is the state itself that acts like taliban, so no wonder taliban is winning theri war of terror.

fayax · March 21, 2009, 1:20am

Re: 15 Ahmadis arrested for gathering in a building resembling a mosque

Yup. I am sure they can do better things with their time.

Med911 · March 21, 2009, 8:11am

Re: 15 Ahmadis arrested for gathering in a building resembling a mosque

Good for Ahmadies for not bowing to the pressure of the fanatics. Im glad they continue to "pose" as Muslims... Perhaps Pakistan would be a btter place if the rest of the country started acting more like Muslims and less like terrorists.

mYsTeRiOuS_gUy · March 21, 2009, 9:29am

Re: 15 Ahmadis arrested for gathering in a building resembling a mosque

Ahmadis are very patriotic Pakistanis and do consider themselves good muslims, it's a very complicated issue.
There is a lot of hatered for Ahmadis in Pakistan so government alone cannot guarantee their safety unless some Aalims/Mullahs publically make a request to leave Ahmadis alone.(I highly doubt that it will ever happen). Musharaff tried to protect them but he was called an Ahmadi by everyone.

They don't deserve this treatment just because of their faith.

Captain_FT · March 21, 2009, 9:34am

Wow Kahkeshan! looks like u also have TALIBANOPHOBIA like usa, nato and our government. ehh?

:D

Shamraz_Khan · March 21, 2009, 9:46am

Re: 15 Ahmadis arrested for gathering in a building resembling a mosque

Sad & despicable.

Zero_one · March 21, 2009, 10:50am

Re: 15 Ahmadis arrested for gathering in a building resembling a mosque

One of the greatest achievements of Pakistan is how closely it's authorities follow the letter of Law regarding Ahmadis. Even the slightest hint is enough to be arrested and tortured. And if u fail to listen/comply to numerous death threats u may end up being shot, strangled to death.

Arrest, Torture and Kill those who don't anything other than follow their belief.

Yet those who kill fellow citizens, blow up schools, behead foreigners, shoot at foreign cricket teams are allowed to run around free and even get safe haven in the north.

Don't be surprised if this country is bombed to hell very soon.

After all it's the ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF PAKISTAN. PAKISTAN ZINDABAD

May Allah SWT save anyone from this kind of Islam.

junaid001 · March 21, 2009, 11:22am

that is untrue we know there are ahmedis in high positions in army.
but i do agree here ahmedis are seen with contempt in our society and they dont enjoy freedom of following their beliefs as other communities do.

junaid001 · March 21, 2009, 11:24am

and MQM.

Zero_one · March 21, 2009, 12:29pm

Tell me which part is untrue ???

U know how easy is it for Political Parties to bring down certain ppl just by claiming they r Ahmadis ???

I for one can tell u about personal experience that it was enough for me to be known that i’m an Ahmadi and the harassment started and PPL around me turned away instead of Helping

If u closely follow the cases of arrested Ahmadis u’ll notice very quickly how these cases have been made up by LEGAL/CERTIFIED MUSLIMS.

Just an example of recent Past
http://www.paklinks.com/gs/religion-scripture/311564-situation-district-layyah-worsens.html

And there countless other occasions

junaid001 · March 21, 2009, 1:02pm

this part
" One of the greatest achievements of Pakistan is how closely it’s authorities follow the letter of Law regarding Ahmadis. Even the slightest hint is enough to be arrested and tortured. And if u fail to listen/comply to numerous death threats u may end up being shot, strangled to death."

i know anti ahmedi movement is very violent and strong in punjab but i would disagree is same is the case in other provinces…

test01 · March 21, 2009, 1:08pm

Which ones? Name a few with ranks.

hanibal · March 21, 2009, 1:11pm

Re: 15 Ahmadis arrested for gathering in a building resembling a mosque

I don't understand y ahmadi always play the victum card? if somebody got killed/harrassed etc and if that somebody is not Ahmadi then its not a news but if it happens to be an Ahmadi then.. it is big news...

Y don't Ahmadi recognize that they are living in a country where justice was denied to the CJ of Pakistan.... why don't they think like that... i think Ahmadi think that if they separate themselves from the masses of Pakistan, then they have their on case to take into international world and defame Pakistan by all means...

shami2k · March 21, 2009, 4:01pm

I think you're missing the point. There are Ahmadi specif laws & those are designed to persecute them & this kind of stuff is normal. Just the idea that you can get arrested b/c your building looks like something is fundamental violation of human rights w/o any doubt.

Bail_Out · March 21, 2009, 4:29pm

Re: 15 Ahmadis arrested for gathering in a building resembling a mosque

The irony is, I've heard some Muslims say their religion treats all people equally; yet contrast that with not only this mistreatment of Ahmadis but even the frequent shia/sunni bombings.

hanibal · March 21, 2009, 5:09pm

I think you have missed the point as well...

I don't want to get into Ahmadi laws and other stuff, but i must say that if there is a law then one should abide it... if the law says that one should not build anything resemble to a mosque then there should be ome logic behind it.. being a muslim i don't want a church or temple to be designed like or have any resemblance to a mosque.

Ahmadis have model society called rabwa, they live by their customs, no body objects on that, Although i have personal experience of how Ahamdi calls the names of respectable personalities of Islam, but still there is place of worship for them, in Lahore one is on Illama Iqbal road.. and some are in the localities...

No body objects on those places, no body get arrested for performing their religous duties there...

Please be noted that Ahmadi are declared non-muslims in Pakistan and are treated in same way in other Arab states like Saudi and Kuwait. So why they design there place of worship resembling a mosque? do they have any ill-intentions to deceive other muslims??? I am not saying they had one, but question is, they are non-muslims, they are told not to build their place of worship like a mosque then y they do it???

hanibal · March 21, 2009, 5:13pm

Ahamdi have all the liberties under the law of Pakistan, yes they are prohibited to call themselves muslims and bhuild their places of worship like a mosque or resembling a mosque... I think you have not seen their place of worship on iqbal road in Lahore and thats why u said above, and if you have seen that place and still saying what u said.. then clearly i must say thay Ahmadi do work hard to acheive the target of enemies of Pakistan.

by the way, Ahmadi and Baha'i are the only one who are allowed to build their places of worship in Israel.. ever wondered y?

Bail_Out · March 21, 2009, 5:26pm

Re: 15 Ahmadis arrested for gathering in a building resembling a mosque

^ I have never been to Pakistan and I cannot even tell what the difference is between various types of Muslims. My only point is, why treat people discriminately like this? don't the have as much right as you or anyone else to build whatever place opf worship they want and worship whoever they want?

how would you like it if they come and tell you that you are not allowed to do namaz (assuming you are muslim that practices that way)?

Just let people be!

hanibal · March 21, 2009, 5:55pm

Re: 15 Ahmadis arrested for gathering in a building resembling a mosque

^^ I think you need to read some history about Ahmadi/Qadyanies before going into details of right?